The Hushed Return
by Deliverant
Summary: Katara meets Korra for the first time.


**Probably been done before, with much more quality and done more thoroughly. ****Just one scenario, and just one way I approached it.**

**Decided to quickly finish it up because;**

**1. I wouldn't be bothered later on, and I'd just keep putting it off.**

**2. Nobody wants to read my garbled nonsense.**

**Take that as my warning, this could be just garble. TREAT ME NICELY.**

**(PS. I MISS AANG. These sad feelings will probably induce some Kataangy Lemon later, because there seems to be a particular lack of it. Or...lack of good ones. Not saying mine will be good though.)**

**The beloved 'Avatar' series belongs to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, two of the worlds beautiful geniuses.**

* * *

**With** atmosphere so thick, breathing was found to be an extremely difficult task within the dully lit room.

Even with three White Lotus members standing within the entrance of the warm home, the space felt oddly desolate and quiet. The howling of the wind outside was like a interminable unspoken cry, breaking the utter silence that ripped through them.

On the ground lay a discarded wooden bowl, patterned with complex Water Tribe designs, the liquid it once held spilling from under its mouth onto the rough pelt rug beneath it.

A sudden sob lurched from her tightly hand clasped mouth as she collapsed against a wooden chair, grinding it noisily against the hard floor. Across the table was her mother, sitting back in her chair and looking at the tribal wall hanging across the room. Her mouth opened and closed as if to say something but was silenced by an unexplained force.

A member clad in blue and white uniform sighed deeply and stepped further into the hut, boots softly clacking as he moved.

"Master Katara, this means the search is over at last. We can rest easy now."

Placing a hand on her shoulder he fell to a knee, clutching her stiff hands that knotted together.

Speaking softly he looked up, "You can relax, Master Katara," his eyes filled with the same sense of relief that washed over her.

Melting further into her chair she let out a sigh of "oh thank goodness," and let her eye lids close over her forming tears.

Five years of false calls and denied hopes had past, and five long years of unsuccessful healing and turmoil had tugged at Kataras already shattered heart.

One year after her husbands death, a very large and quiet gap held strong in the air, people returning to their everyday lives yet anticipating and wandering around aimlessly, falling into a state of confused and leaderless marching. Very few people thrived in the dark shadows of mourning, except for those who believed the piece had died along with the Avatar, finding their own guidance even if it meant taking a 'not-so-legal' path to get there.

The White Lotus decided that locating the next Avatar in line would be a long and grueling task, more than they had first envisioned. It would require a lot of time a patience. After all, the only lead they had was that the heir to the Avatar spirit was a Waterbender.

Two years past of busily scouring through a list of candidates collected from mothers and fathers from both Southern and Northern Water Tribes, all had deemed to be useless and even more so disappointing. Yet another year had past, and their undying efforts to find the Avatars successor became tedious and claims became few, but the White Lotus continued to investigate both tribes as well as the United Republic.

Many members remained adamant that with time, the Avatar would reveal themselves.

"Maybe we are being too naïve here," a sentry had said after discussing a series of scenarios that were likely to have occurred as to the reason why. "We really do need more time than we are anticipating."

"What are you talking about," their leader scoffed. "We are here to protect and guide the new coming Avatar. We can not just sit around and wait all day! Avatar Aang had given us explicit instructions and precautions that we were to take following his death, and finding the new Avatar as fast as possible is just one of the few!"

"Yes," Katara had nodded, "but another is not to push the young one into his or her responsibilities as the Avatar so early in life. Giving them the freedom they need as a child is a very important part in growing into a healthy and strong adult, as well an Avatar."

With a sigh, the member raised his arms in protest. "So what do you suppose we do, take a ten year break and wait awhile until we begin our searching again? Or do we not bother at all, and give the Avatar the freedom to be discovered and slaughtered in another attempt of a hundred year war."

"No, we continue as we have been," she insisted. "And when we find the young Avatar, we keep it as quiet as necessary. We must protect them how ever we can."

Entering the beginning of the fifth year was even harder for Katara, the fact dawning on her that the Avatar was still out there, unguarded and clueless. Although she knew that there was nothing to be entirely concerned about, she was still plagued by the fact she couldn't protect the Avatar, her Avatar, as she had once been able to before.

Now here she was, being told that the new Avatar had been found only an hour ago, and all her old wounds opened up to the harsh reality. She had believed that over the years, the pain of losing the only man she had ever loved had subdued a little, allowing herself to heal. But suddenly her phlegmatic mask of composure crumbled when she felt the past creep back out from the lock chest she kept it.

Beside her wept her daughter Kya, whose reaction to the news was exactly what she would have indulged in if she wasn't so relieved.

Kya had tried her hardest not to bring up the touchy subject that was her father, or the Avatar, over the three long years Katara had lived in her home in the Southern Water Tribe. Being a hard topic of discussion, it would often end in a hot embrace of sobbing wet faces and aching throat stories of the past.

"Home at last," Katara breathed shakily, pressing a hand against her chest to calm the boiling emotions battling inside her.

Still kneeling before her, the husky White Lotus leader forced a smile and began to stand.

"She stays with her parents tonight. She is already strong, but tomorrow we will assess her condition and begin her training as per instruction, Master Katara.

You will be her Water Bending teacher."

"Her?" Kya stirred in her chair, "the Avatar is a girl." Her trembling lips began to smile and she laughed in spite of her tears. "Dad guessed she'd be a girl."

"The only time he has ever guessed correctly, he always got you kids wrong," Katara added, wiping an invisible tear from her eye and laughing with Kya.

She looked up to the other two White Lotus behind. "Can we see her tonight? I don't think my excitment will let me sleep."

The three of the members looked at each other, then gave Katara a knowing nod.

"Although we said we were to return in the morning, and that we would prefer to keep this a quiet matter," the leader said, glancing at Kya at the corner of his eye. "But, I believe the situation is inevitable."

* * *

The five of them travelled to the outskirts of the Southern Water Tribe city. Dimly lit yurts and structures dotted the snowy plain as snow and wind raged noisily still. They came to a small igloo, greeted by a large wooden door framed by circular bricks of ice and compacted snow.

The White Lotus stood aside as Katara came to the door, cloaked in a snow spotted cobalt blue cape that tangled with the strong wind. She stood for a few moments taking in a shallow breath, then knocked.

Kya reached for her mothers hand, slowly squeezing for added encouragement.

After a few seconds of hesitation, a largely built man opened the door looking astonished, grinning from ear to ear. He suddenly dropped to a slight bow and looked up to Katara, giving blessings and thanks.

"You must be here to see Korra. Of course, please come in," he stammered as he quickly gathered the team inside, fighting to keep the door open against the wind.

Senna, his meekly uncouth wife looked back from her seemingly hopeless attempt to rehang a fallen tribal shield against the pale lit walls.

Turning quickly and still clutching the blue and white artifact she stuttered, "O-oh, welcome back!"

The home was a warm mess of family struggles. Filled top to bottom with familiar and richly decorated Water Tribe objects. It was clear that Senna tried her hardest to keep her house presentable, but unfortunately when your five year old daughter is a newly realized Avatar, it is a bit more of a struggle. Water spilled from turned pots, glistening the stone paved floors that shunted in strange directions after Korras last escapade. A white sheet had been quickly laced over an obvious large hole on the wall, and fragments of light shone from between gaps.

Senna glanced at her new visitors, Katara and Kya, looking earnestly around the room.

"If you are here to see Korra, she has just fallen asleep. She must of tired herself out since your last visit," she said to the White Lotus, smiling humbly as she tightened her hold on the shield.

Tonraq moved to stand beside his wife, taking the shield from her arms. "We have an unspoken rule not to wake Korra up from her sleep. Other wise, well. Lets just say tonights storm is nothing to what she can brew up in a matter of minutes."

Katara smiled at the couple, holding her hands together to stop them from shaking. "Yes," she chuckled, "I can understand that."

Kya stepped forward, removing her hood from her windswept face, eyes still puffy and red from the previous tears. "We promise not to wake her. Please."

Senna looked from Kya to Katara, Katara to Kya before realizing who they were.

"Oh! Oh yes of course. Yes, don't worry about that!" she rushed before crossing the room to a loose sheet hanging in an archway. "Just in here."

Lifting the navy-blue cover open and standing to one side, she encouraged the Master and her daughter to enter the similarly round room. Kya looked to her mother holding out an elbow to link arms, and Katara obliged. Slowly walking through the archway, Kya swept the sheet higher above their heads with the back of a wrist.

Sprawled on the floor lay a snoozing five year old, her chocolate tanned arms and legs limp, tangled amongst a bed of furs and blankets.

Her breath was loud and moist, her head tilted back over a spit stained pillow and eyes traveling with her dreams. Her chest and soft belly, peeking out from her light blue singlet, rose and fell with each lasting breath.

The peaceful air around her was serenely beautiful. And when Katara knelt down beside the sleeping child, her facial expressions simply melted onto a single adoring smile. Kya sat next to her, catching the contagiously affectionate grin and let out an exhausted sigh.

Senna and Tonraq standing in the arch exchanged looks and gripped each others hands.

Katara reached to stroke Korras messy brown hair but drew back, looking up to her parents above. "She is wonderful. You must feel very proud of your daughter."

"Yes, though I must say, a little intimidated. I can't believe our little monster is going become the worlds peace maker, and become so very strong. Stronger than she already is," Tonraq said, holding his wife closer.

Senna glanced up at him and then back to Korra, "well, I guess I am little scared. I suppose this means she will get into a lot of danger during her life, won't she."

Katara shook her head on shrugging shoulders while the White Lotus leader behind Tonraq and Senna said, "Avatar Aang organized everything so that she could have as smooth an upbringing as any other child, if not more."

"She has our protection," the lankier male of the three added, lifting a finger in addition.

Kya stiffened beside Katara as Korra began to stir in her sleep, wriggling like a turtle duck on its back.

The three White Lotus members quickly shuffled further against the front door in trepidation, fearing the awakening of the small barbarian.

Korras eyes trembled against the undesirable light and grumbled with agitated passion. She threw herself to one side and hazily stared at the two aging women gazing down on her. After a few minutes of silent bewilderment, she lifted a lazy arm and blundered sleepily, "Hey. I'm the Avatar. Nice to metcha."

Kya and Katara looked at each other in awe, dumbfounded by the brazen aloofness of the small girl before them. Suddenly they both burst into fits of laughter, shoulders shaking.

Korra cocked her head to one side, rubbing an eye with her fist while her other arm remained risen waiting for Kataras hand.

Katara regarded the drowsy girl with giggling smile before encasing her sweaty palm with her own two wrinkled ones.

"Yes, it's an honor to meet you young Avatar. But I believe in a way, we have already meet before."

* * *

**KYA. DUDE. I thought you promised you wouldn't wake her! **


End file.
